Everything

Early Career Introduction

The Philosophy of Action

Long before he became President of the NCAA, Myles Brand was first and foremost a philosopher. In 1964, Brand graduated from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute with a B.S. in Philosophy and then earned his Ph.D. in Philosophy from the University of Rochester only three years later in 1967. After initially attending college to be a mechanical engineer, Brand discovered a genuine love for arguing about ideas, gravitating towards the analytical side of philosophy and metaphysics.

In his studies, Brand’s main focus was action theory—an area of metaphysics that examines human behavior by analyzing motivation and intention. He believed that the field had stagnated in recent years and hoped to usher in a new era of action theory that incorporated cognitive science and psychological studies.

In Brand’s words:

“Applied philosophy is not a recent innovation. Its practical objective is echoed in a passage by Aristotle in the Nicomachean Ethics: ‘We are inquiring not in order to know what virtue is, but to become good.’ Theoretical inquiry has an essential place in the total enterprise, but the ultimate concern is with the implications for human action” (Action and Responsibility, 1980).

Brand was always concerned about the practical applications of philosophical theory. Alongside his writings, Brand served in administrative roles that afforded him the opportunity to accomplish change for students and faculty alike. He worked in philosophy departments across the country before becoming Provost at The Ohio State University in 1986 and eventually becoming President of the University of Oregon in 1989.

Early Career Publications

• The Nature of Human Action, edited by Myles Brand. (Scott-Foresman and Company. Glenview, 1970.) He wrote the annotated bibliography as well as three essays within the publication: “Action and Behavior,” “The Logic of Action,” and “Ability, Possibility and Power.”
• The Nature of Causation, edited by Myles Brand. (University of Illinois Press. Urbana, 1976.)
He wrote one essay within the publication entitled “On Defining ‘Causes.’”
• Action Theory: Proceedings of the Winnipeg Conference, co-edited by Myles Brand and Douglas Walton. (Synthese Library Series. D. Reidel Publishing Co. Dordrecht, 1976.) Brand wrote the introductory essay for the publication.
• Action and Responsibility, co-edited by Myles Brand and Michael Brodie. (Bowling Green Studies in Applied Philosophy. Bowling Green, Ohio, 1980.)
• Intending and Acting: Toward a Naturalized Action Theory. (MIT Press/Bradford Books. Cambridge, Massachusetts, 1984.) The preface of this book is included in the archive below.
• The Representation of Knowledge and Belief, co-edited by Myles Brand and Robert Harnish. (University of Arizona Press. Tucson, 1986.) Brand wrote the introductory essay for the publication.

A list of everything

Mondays with Myles: Episode 34 – DII National Championships Festival

November 27, 2006



Mondays with Myles: Episode 35 – Football Championships

December 4, 2006



Mondays with Myles: Episode 36 – Youth Basketball

December 11, 2006



Mondays with Myles: Episode 37 – Gerald R. Ford Award

December 18, 2006



“In All, Fairness,” NCAA State of the Association delivered at 2007 NCAA Convention

January 1, 2007


“Foreword” to The College Athlete’s Guide to Academic Success: Tips from Peers and Profs, by Bob Nathanson and Arthur Kimmel

January 1, 2007


“The Beauty of the Game,” published in Basketball and Philosophy: Thinking Outside the Paint, pp. 94-103, co-authored with Peg Brand

January 1, 2007


Mondays with Myles: Episode 38 – NCAA National Convention

January 8, 2007



Mondays with Myles: Episode 39 – SCORES & GOALS Surveys

January 15, 2007



Mondays with Myles: Episode 40 – Coaches’ Compensation

January 22, 2007